Ali did it!

  Okay, first off, let me just say that by publishing this post, I’m confessing my secret obsession with The Biggest Loser. There, that felt better. CONGRATULATIONS Ali! She was the first women to win the top prize, losing 112 total pounds (and winning a $250,000 prize).  Also, congratulations to all of the 20 contestants who went through the program - I don’t think there was anyone who lost less than 20% of their starting body weight - amazing! In fact, Bernie, the winner of the at-home group (those who were eliminated before the finale) lost an astounding 49 percent of his starting body weight! 

Now I only started watching the show this past season, primarily out of curiousity - I had just started going through a pretty significant transformation myself, and I wanted to see if there were any similarities with my experience.  While I can easily list several inconsistencies (I don’t have the opportunity to train for 6-8 hours a day, leave my job for 20+ weeks, have doctors watching my every move), I can also list some areas where we were the same:

• Every day can be a struggle, and every day is different;
• There have been multiple times throughout this period when I’ve wanted to give up - the temptations were too great, or the pain and sacrifice seemed too much;
• Cherishing the victory of reaching a goal, no matter how large or how small, can be very motivating;
• Family and friends, and those (like you) who share in the daily battles can be sooooo encouraging to keep pressing on;
• Above all, this isn’t a diet and a bunch of exercises - it’s a lifestyle, and it needs to be a permanent one.

I wish I knew whether or not any of the contestants were devoted followers of Jesus Christ or not, because I can tell you one thing that has also been lifechanging for me through this whole process, is knowing that no matter what my weight, no matter how successful I am or how I struggle, no matter if I lift 25 pounds or 250 pounds, Christ has been, is, and will be my strength throughout this whole process. And no matter what, He is sufficient to meet my every need. Have I worked hard and changed my habits? Yes. Can I be proud of the accomplishments I’ve made?  Certainly. But I can never lose sight of the fact that God has put me on the earth for a reason, and that reason is to give Him the glory He deserves. So for every goal I reach, I need to acknowledge that Christ is the strength behind it, and it is only through His strength that I can do what I do every day.

I believe that part of the reason He’s put me on this earth is to support YOU in your health and fitness journey, and to also support you in your journey to become more like Christ. If there are specific ways I can help you do that, please let me know.